1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method of collating sheets and to apparatus which may be used for carrying out such method. More particularly, this invention relates to a method of collating sheets into sets from stacks of sheets wherein the number of sheets in each collated set may be greater than the number of stacks which can be supported on trays within the apparatus for carrying out the method. This invention also relates to the apparatus for carrying out the above-described method and a particular set handling assembly which is part of such apparatus.
2. Description of the Background Art
Presently, there exist many methods and systems designed to collate stacked, sorted sheets. By advancing single sheets sequentially from stacks of sorted sheets to a sheet transport device in an appropriate timed sequence with respect to an adjacent sheet feeding station, the sheets may be collated into sets. Thereafter, the collated sets of sheets may be fed to an area whereat the collated sets may be sequentially stuffed into envelopes. Unfortunately, however, in all of the prior art systems and methods for effecting such collation, the number of sheets in any collated set is limited by the number of stacks of sorted sheets contained within the collating system.
One such prior device for carrying out the collating and stuffing method as described above is disclosed in PARTS CATALOG, 10,000 MODEL, IMPERIAL MODEL, TP 50000, by Business Equipment Group, Bell & Howell, 6800 McCormick Rd., Chicago, Ill. 60645.
An additional related prior disclosure is U.S. Pat. No. 4,253,651 to McInerny et al. According to the McInerny et al disclosure, a device is provided for handling documents which operates to interleaf or intermix documents from separate stacks in accordance with a predetermined pattern. The documents from separate stacks are fed one-by-one through separate feed paths with means for insuring single-document feed and means for counting prior to merging and discharging of the merged documents. The device includes a complicated and expensive logic and counter, feed controls, display and program selector. The device does not allow for the collating of sheets into set wherein the number of sheets in a collated set may exceed the number of supporting trays for the sheet material to be collated.
An additional related prior disclosure is U.S. Pat. No. 4,527,791 to Piotroski. The Piotroski disclosure relates to a document inserter system having improved controls. The system includes a sheet inserter mechanism and one or more web modules for receiving a web of forms, scanning the forms for information, storing and retransmitting the information, separating the web into discrete forms and feeding the forms for further processing. The system is controlled in accordance with a prespecified configuration which defines the document type for each web module. An operator input is provided to specify a configuration for a mailing. The configuration may be specified by interactive selection from a menu displayed by the supervisory control processor. The control system is a complex and expensive computer. The device does not allow for the collating of sheets into sets wherein the number of sheets in a collated set may exceed the number of supporting trays for the sheet material to be collated.
An additional related prior disclosure is U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,690 to Hill. According to the Hill disclosure, a plurality of trays equal in number to the number of sheets to be provided into a collated set is supported with a apparatus for producing the superposed collated assembly of sheets on a conveyor. The individual sheets are transported from their supporting trays along angled paths intersecting the conveyor and result in the deposit of the sheets on top of each other and on the conveyor in the desired and intended collated condition. The device does not allow for the collating of sheets into sets wherein the number of sheets in a collated set may exceed the number of supporting trays for the sheet material to be collated.
As illustrated by the great number of prior disclosures, including those noted above, efforts are continuously being made in an attempt to economically, reliably and conveniently collate sheets into sets. Nothing in the prior art, however, discloses or suggests the present inventive combination of method steps and component elements for economically, reliably and conveniently collating sorted sheets wherein the number of sheets in each collated set may be greater than the number of stacks of sheets which can be supported on trays within the system for carrying out the method.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to collate sheet material into sets wherein the number of sheets in each set is not limited by the number of stack-supporting trays within the collating apparatus.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus which easily is mounted to a conventional multi-sheet envelope stuffing machine to convert the envelope stuffing machine to a collator.
The present invention achieves its purposes, objectives and advantages over the prior art through a new, useful and unobvious combination of method steps and component elements for collating sheet material, with a minimum number of method steps and functioning parts, at a reduction of cost, and through the utilization of only readily available materials and conventional components.
The foregoing has outlined some of the more pertinent objects of the invention. These objects should be construed as being merely illustrative of some of the more prominent features and applications of the intended invention. Many other beneficial results can be attained by applying the disclosed invention in a different manner or modifying the invention within the scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the summary of the invention and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment in addition to the scope of the invention defined by the claims taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.